Bubble forming and propelling device



A. M. STEINER ET AL BUBBLE FoBMING AND PROPELLING DEVICE Filed March 15,194e May 15, 1951 INVENTORJ BY 2%,mm'g H70 Patented May 15, 1951 UNITEDSTATES PATENT CFFICE 2,553,388 BUBBLE FoRM'ING AND PROPELLNG DEVICE`Albert M. Steiner and MauriceUnger, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors toAlbert M. Steiner Application Maren `15, 1946, 4serial No. 654,670

3 Claims.

This invention relates to toys or novelties and is particularlyconcerned with a device for forming and propelling bubbles. In itspreferred form the device comprises a Apropelling structure formed insimulation of an automatic or other type of -pistol but it will beapparent from the 'disclosure that the invention may be adapted to otherpropelling or expelling instrumentalities such as toy airplanes or toyboats.

The bubbles which the device is adapted to form and propel are thosecommonly termed soap bubbles although it is not essential thatthematerial used to form the bubbles be saponaceous Within a strictdefinition of this term. As is commonly known there are many materialsavailable at the present time including., by way of example, sulphonatedalcohol preparations, alkyl, aryl sulphonates, or similar components inwhich the surface tension is sufficiently low to v.permit the readyformation of bubbles which are superior to those formed from saponaceousmaterials in that they are substantially easier to form and disrupt lessreadily.

Briefly stated, the principal concept of the invention is to provide atoy or novelty primarily for the use of children i-n which bubbles maybe formed by mechanical action from bubble forming material disposedwithin or closely associated with the device and after formati-on may bepropelled outwardly from the 'device for a reasonably substantialdistance and in simulation of projectiles.

Another object, as illustrated in the preferred embodiment disclosed andhereinafter described, is to provide a toy or novelty device conguratedto resemble an automatic or other type of pistol which is adapted topropel outwardly from the end of the barrel bubbles formed from bubblerorming material stored within or closely associated with the device.

Another and important object is to provide a device of the characterdescribed in which a single column of air is utilized to form the bubbleand to project it outwardly from the device after forming. v I

Another object is to provide a structure of the type under considerationin which a container for storing the bubble forming uid is disposedwithin the interior of the ejecting device but so positioned as topermit ready relling of the container after the material has beenexhausted. Alternatively, the material container may be secured to theejecting device without being disposed within the interior thereofthereby permitting a replacement of containers after exhaustion of thematerial.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from aconsideration of the further and more detailed description of theinvention when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a complete embodiment of the inventiondisclosed in relation to the use of a toy automatic pistol as the bubbleforming and propelling element.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional View of a portion of Figure 1with additional portions of the assembly broken away further toyillustrate the details of lc'onstruct-onand operation.

Figure 3 is an end view in the direction indicated by the line 3 3,-Figure 2.

Figuree is a sectional view along the line 4 4, Figure 2.

Figure v5 is a sectional view along the line 5 5, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is'a vsectional view along the line 6 6, Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an end view in the direction 'indicated by the line 1 1,Figure l.

Figure 8 is a sectional view along the line 8 8, Figure 1. Y Y

Figure 9 is a sectional View of the handle of the device showing amodified form of the invention in which a bulb is used to provide thesource of air instead of the plunger illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring again to the drawings for affurther and more detaileddescription of the invention, the automatic pistol device in question isdesignated generally as l0, Figure l, and comprises the principalelements of an outer casing l! congurated to form a barrel portion i 2and a handle portion I3. A trigger of relatively conventional form isdesignated generally as i4.

The container in which the bubble forming material is stored isdesignated as i5 and the material itself is le. This container may bepositioned as shown on the interior of a portion of the casing l1 whichdepends from the underside 'of the barrel. An end aperture I8 in thecontainer is adapted to be closed by the stopper I9 which is integrallyconnected to the knurled screw head 29 which 'extends on the exterior ofthe casing thereby permitting ready removal of the stopper for refillingthe container with the bubble forming material. Although thismodi'cation is not illustrated it will be apparent that the containermay be disposed 'on the exterior of the barrel and detachably'securedthereto by clips orthe like 3 `Without in any way affecting theoperation of the structure. y

A plunger casing designated as 2I may be disposed adjacent the uppersurface of the barrel portion of the casing and secured thereto. Aplunger rod 22 having a plunger head 23 formed on the end thereof isadapted to be inserted in the plunger casing and to be disposedsubstantially centrally in the barrel portion I2 of the pistol. Themovement of this rod 22 forward in the casing 2| provides the supply ofair utilized in the operation of the device in the manner which will behereinafter described. The plunger rod 22 extends rearwardly and through.fan opening in the rear endof the casing. A compression spring 24 ispositioned on the rear portion of the plunger rod with its ends abuttingthe inner surface of the casing as at 25 and the plate 26 which issecured to the rod and made integral therewith. Accordingly, as theplunger rod is forced rearwardly by the trigger action ra portion of therod protrudes from the rear end of the casing es the spring compressesto provide the impetus required for the forward stroke. A valve headelement 6I maybe loosely mounted in a port 62 in the front wall of theplunger casing 2 i As the plunger head moves rearwardly the valve head6I is moved rearwardly also because of the vacuum created in the plungerhead. rlhis opens the port 62 and permits the drawing of air into theplunger chamber from the barrel and from the outside through crevices inthe casing which is not intended to be air tight. The forward movementof the plunger head compresses the air in the cylinder thereby seatingthe valve head 6I.

Extending forwardly from the front end of the plunger casing 2i is atube 2l through which passes the major portion of the air started inmotion by the plunger action. Directly forwardly of the front end of theplunger a branch tube 28 extends downwardly from the main tube 2.' andthrough the aperture 2s into the interior of the material container I5,terminating at a, point above the ordinary level of the material i5. Asecond tube 3Q also enters the material container I through the aperture3i and has its extended end normally below the surface of the materialI6. As shown in Figure 2, this tube 3d then extends forwardly into acylinder element 35 and terminates at the plate 37.

Lateral air diffusing passageway/s 82 branch from the tube 2l fat thepoint These lateral passageways are preferably two in number andpreferably are spaced approximately regularly around the periphery ofthe barrel terminating at the forward edge 3s of the cylinder element 35which is securely positioned within the interior of the barrel i2extending rearwardly from the front edge thereof.

Disposed within the interior of the cylinder element 35 lare circularplates numbered 36, 3l and 38, respectively, the latter forming thefront face of the barrel. These plates are best shown in Figures 5, 4and 3, respectively, and define chambers 39, l0 and iii within theinterior of the barrel. The :chambers -are preferably of approximatelythe same size and contour.

A plurality of tubes i2 extend forwardly from the plate .35 to the plate3B and have apertures 43 on the exterior of the latter plate as shown inFigure 3. A plurality of additional apertures te are formed in the plate3i? and additional apertures 45 are formed in the plate 31. Theprincipal 'outlet aperture in the forward plate 38 has been designated46 'and the'bubblewhich is formed at chamber through the Vtube 3b.

4 this point, as best illustrated in Figure 1, has been designated 41.

Referring again to the construction of the trigger element I4, thiselement comprises the trigger plate yIll which is pivotally secured tothe handle portion I3 of the pistol by the pin 49. A spring Y 5Bencircles the pin i9 and has its ends disposed closely adjacent to theinterior surface of the trigger and the base of the handle .as clearlyillustrated in Figure 1. At the upper edge of the trigger plate ia pawl5| is pivotally secured to the plate by the pin 52 and has a surface l53thereof Vfor engaging the plate 2b pinned to the plunger squeezed, thepawl 53 forces the shaft rear- Iwardly until the pawl and triggerassembly reach the position shown by the dotted line in Figure l. Atthis point the pawl slips the engagement with the collar 26 .and thespring 2d drives the piston forward, the collar 2t passing over the topsurface of the pawl. When the trigger is released, the trigger spring 59drives the trigger forward thereby returning it to the cocked position.The front surface of the pawl strikes the collar 26 as the trigger movesforward. The pawl then pivots clockwise, compressing the spring 55, andslips past the collar 26. When the pawl has passed the collar, thecompressed spring rotates the pawl 5I in a counterclockwise manner untilthe rotation of the pawl is stopped bythe contact of the pawl nger Elawith the trigger element I4. In the operation of the device, as theplunger head 23 moves forwardly through the laction of the spring 24 a,quantity of air is forced into the tube 2l through the opening in thefront face of the.plunger chamber. A portion of this air is vdirecteddownwardly through the tube 28 into the interior of the materialcontainer i5. This air forces bubble forming material upwardly through-the tube 3s until it eventually enters the ejector chamber I. In thecourse of this operation the Vmaterial foams and bubbles to a certainextent so-that by the time it reaches the ejector chamber iI it is notstrictly in liquid condition.

The main portion of the air directed forwardly through the tube 2lenters the branch tubes 32 and thence to the chamber 39. In this chamberthe air is further dispersed between the tubes 42 and the apertures te.The air passing into the chamber 6U through the apertures 44 eventuallyenters the chamber Si through the :apertures l5 while the air whichenters the tubes `15.2 passes ldirectly out of the forward end of thebarrel through the apertures 4.3 and is utilized to propel the bubblesafter they have been formed.

The bubblesare formed in the ejector chamber il through action of theair entering this chamber through the apertures :i5 on the bubbleforming material which has previously entered the As previously stated,this material has already become fo'amy and bubbly in its passagethrough the tube 3i! Vso that a great quantity of air is not required toform the completed bubbles.

As the air engages the bubble mass a bubble is formed at the principalopening 46 in the end of the barrel. As soon as this bubbleV becomes ofsuicient size its outer edges are engaged by the streams of lair passingoutwardly through the apertures is and these streams of air detach thebubble from the end of the barrel and project it forwardly for anappreciable distance. As compression of the trigger is continuouslyrepeated more air will be supplied forwardly through the tube 2l and acontinuous stream of bubbles will be expelled from the end of thebarrel.

In the modied form of the invention shown in Figure 9 the trigger plate55 has a conventional trigger element 55 depending therefrom. Thetrigger plate 55 may be pivotally secured to the handle casing as at 58.The rearward surface 5l of, the trigger plate when pressed rearwardlyengages a bulb 59 disposed in the base of the handle and compresses thebulb to supply air outwardly through the tube 60. This tube 69 may forman extension of or be continuous with the tube 21 as shown in theprincipal form of the invention and the operation of the device isotherwise identical.

It will be apparent that a very unique and attractive operation isaccomplished through the continued manipulation of the trigger elementin either form of the invention in that a continuous and steady streamof bub-bles are formed and propelled outwardly through the single andsimple mechanical action of the elements as herein described.

Obviously, many changes and departures may be made from the exactconstruction of the preferred embodiment and modication `withoutdeparting from the scope and intent of the invention as set out in theensuing claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A novelty device for forming and propelling bubbles, comprising areservoir for holding bubble forming material, an ejector chamber havingan aperture therein, said reservoir and chamber being interconnected,means for directing a column of air into the reservoir to expel thematerial therefrom into the ejector chamber, means for directing anotherportion of the same column of air against the material in the ejectorchamber for forming bubbles at the aperture therein, and means includinga plurality of tubes constituting air passageways and extending throughsaid ejector chamber for directing a third portion of the column of air:at a plurality of points adjacent said aperture against the bubbles soformed for propelling them away from the chamber.

2. A device for forming and propelling bubbles, comprising a reservoirfor holding bubble forrnf ing material, an ejector chamber having aplurality of outlet apertures, said reservoir and chamber beinginterconnected, means for directing a column of air against the bubbleforming material in the ejector chamber for forming bubbles at one ofsaid outlet apertures, and means for splitting Said column of air todirect a portion thereof against the material in the reservoir to forceit into the ejector chamber yand another portion thereof to the outletapertures other than the one at which the bubbles are formed, said lastnamed air column functioning to propel the bubbles away from the[aperture at which they are formed.

3. A device for forming and propelling bubbles, comprising a reservoirfor holding bubble forming material, an ejector chamber having aplurality of outlet apertures, said reservoir and chamber beinginterconnected, means for directing -a rst column of air into thereservoir land simultaneously a second column of air into the ejectorchamber for forcing bubble forming material from the reservoir into thechamber and for forming bubbles at one of said outlet apertures and aplate interposed in front of said second air column, said plate havingapertures therein, tubes leading from certain of said apertures to theoutlet lapertures in the ejector chamber other than the one at which thebubbles are formed, whereby air passing through said tubes functions topropel the bubbles away from the aperture at which they are formed.

ALBERT lVi. |STEINER. MAURICE UN GER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 693,395 Horton Eeb. 18, 1902697,063 Alhart Apr. 8, 1902 727,952 Horton May 12, 1903 1,572,409 OldhamFeb. 9, 1926 1,962,801 Bloxom June 12, 1934 2,225,702 Lyon Dec. 24, 1940

